'Massive disruption': Harbour Bridge rally to go ahead
The Advertiser3 days ago
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Pro-Palestinian protesters will march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a major show of force, as police scramble to ensure they have the resources to manage the court-sanctioned event.
Thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend the rally to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
Police on Saturday implored those planning to take part to act peacefully and respectfully, warning them they would be closely monitored.
Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg rejected an application on behalf of the NSW police commissioner to shut down the Sunday march on public safety grounds.
Organised by the Palestinian Action Group Sydney, the protest has garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
Justice Rigg said in her judgment that arguments the rally would cause disruption were not sufficient to bar the protest.
"It is in the very nature of the entitlement to peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others," she said.
She noted there was significant support for the march from hundreds of organisations including Amnesty International, various churches, the Jewish Council of Australia, the nurses and midwives association and other trade unions.
The decision means protesters will have legal immunity and protections around offences like blocking or obstructing traffic or pedestrians.
Police were "scrambling" to alert road users that the bridge would be closed for the protest but would have the "whole gamut" of officers there to monitor the demonstration, acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna said.
"We are there to keep everyone safe ... we will have police right along the route and we'll be making sure this is done as safely and peacefully as possible," he told reporters on Saturday.
"Anyone who thinks they're going to come along and hijack this protest or do the wrong thing, police will take swift action."
Greens MP Sue Higginson described the court decision as a win for humanity and a defeat for the "anti-protest Minns Labor government".
"The court was crystal clear that a protest being inconvenient does not mean it can be stopped. In fact, that's the whole point of the protest," she said.
Protesters are expected to march from the CBD to North Sydney, with the bridge closed from 11.30am to about 4pm.
Police Minister Yasmine Catley urged people to avoid the city if possible.
"Make no mistake there is going to be massive, massive disruption ... there will be significant delays," she said.
"But we believe police will be able to handle the protest on the bridge so long as people are peaceful, that they listen to what police ask them to do and that they are sensible."
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are also gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry CEO Alex Ryvchin said there was "a lot of dismay in the community and wider society that a single judge has overruled a decision of the police and the elected government made in the interests of public safety".
Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Australians want tougher government measures to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a poll has found.
Respondents to the YouGov survey published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believe Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel have fallen short.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
5 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
‘Genuine Australians' being misrepresented at pro-Palestine protests
Former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger says pro-Palestine rallies are 'full of antisemites'. Mr Kroger told Sky News Australia that 'Jewish hating people' attend the protests to use as 'cover' for their antisemitic views. 'And unfortunately mixed up in that are genuine Australians who get used in these demonstrations.'
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Undercurrent' of antisemitism at pro-Palestine protests
Former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger discusses the pro-Palestine march which took place on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Mr Kroger told Sky News Australia there was an 'undercurrent' of antisemitism at the protest. 'And intimidation of the Jewish community.'
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
How Netanyahu squandered his moment to halt the war in Gaza
Jerusalem: When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led the country to a military victory over Iran in June, both his allies and rivals portrayed it as his finest achievement. Flush with newfound confidence and authority, Netanyahu seemed finally to have gained the political capital he needed to override opposition from his far-right government allies to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip. Six weeks later, the prime minister has squandered that moment. The talks between Hamas and Israel are, yet again, stuck. Israel is now pushing for a deal to end the war in one go, instead of in phases. The move brings negotiations to where they were 19 months ago, when mediators last tried to reach a comprehensive deal, and it is just as likely to fail as it did then. Now as then, both Hamas and Netanyahu are refusing to make the compromises needed for such a comprehensive deal to work. 'As long as this is the government – and assuming it doesn't fundamentally change its course – there will be no comprehensive agreement, and the hostages will not return, ' wrote Oren Setter, a former member of Israel's negotiation team, in a column on Monday in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahrono t. 'The opposition needs to understand this, the public needs to understand this, and the media needs to understand this,' Setter added. In short, the credit Netanyahu accrued following the war with Iran in June has evaporated, both domestically and overseas. International condemnation of the growing starvation in Gaza – which aid agencies and many foreign governments have largely blamed on Israel's 11-week blockade on the territory between March and May – is at its peak. Partly to protest Israel's responsibility for that situation, several of the country's long-standing allies have recognised a Palestinian state, or pledged to do so in the near future. In the United States, most Democratic senators voted last week to block some arms sales to Israel. A Republican lawmaker, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has accused Israel of genocide, an accusation it strongly denies. Domestic opposition to the war in Gaza is at an all-time high, and calls are growing for the remaining hostages held by Hamas to be returned through a diplomatic deal. Israel's ability to sustain the war, amid growing fatigue among its military reservists, is increasingly under question. After a rise in death by suicide of reserve soldiers, the military has set up a committee to investigate how to better support those leaving service.
